1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of agricultural biotechnology. More specifically, the invention relates to transformation of grass plants using Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Forage and grass plants are the backbone of sustainable agriculture and contribute extensively to the world economy. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), for instance, is a drought-resistant perennial C-4 warm-season grass native throughout North America and has recently been identified by the U.S. Department of Energy as a potential feedstock crop for the production of cellulosic biofuel. Among its beneficial characteristics for use as a cellulosic biomass source crop are high productivity, minimal nutrient needs, stand longevity, pest and disease resistance, water use efficiency, soil restoring properties, erosion control, wide geographic range, and adaptability to marginal soils. Other grass plants may also be of interest for production of lignocellulosic biomass. Genetic improvement of grass plants through biotechnological approaches could play a crucial role in modifying quantity or quality of biomass suitable for biofuel production. However, well defined, rapid and highly efficient genetic transformation systems for grass plants have thus far been lacking.